Mr Kong Restaurant
Mr Kong, 21 Lisle Street, London WC1
Dining at Mr Kong’s is a great way to celebrate the Chinese new year if you happen to be in London. It can cheer up the dull days of winter, walking through the bright lights of Leicester Square into Chinatown where the red lanterns strung across the street sway bravely in the wind. There may be a short loiter outside Mr Kong’s if the queues are long but it is well worth it, and the atrium is quite a comfortable wait although looking through the window at other people enjoying delicious meals can be tantalising (in a good way).
Soon you are welcomed warmly and escorted through the busy restaurant to a suitable table. Then you can divest your winter clothes, stow any carrier bags under the table and feast your eyes on an extensive menu. The chef specials are always worth scrutiny, and range from rich hot pots to delicate stir fries. We always choose the iconic starters, steamed scallops in their shells with flash fried minced garlic and delicate glass noodles (below, left), accompanied by a soy sauce with finely sliced chilli and spring onion which is spooned over to taste. It was Mr Kong’s signature dish and is absolutely meltingly gorgeous every time – scallops may have a coral according to the season and dissolve with round almost sweet richness startled by the sharp stab of chilli.
For main course, another favourite is the sizzling garlicky king prawns (above, right) – makes a great entrance presented as described, sizzling loudly in a hot cast iron serving dish and the smell is divine. The prawns are perfectly flash cooked along with minced garlic and sweet onions – so simple and delicious (all Mr Kong’s seafood rocks). Other recent choices were duck with asparagus and melon and shitake – exquisite balance of flavours very light for a duck dish – and a richer duck with pineapple and slivers of stem ginger, gently spicy and warming on a cold evening. Pork with garlic sprouts is a robust quite salty dish (think bacon with delicious greens) which our five year old loved. We also ordered the sweet and sour pork, stir fried pork in quite a delicate sauce which was a good complement. With side orders of fluffy rice and fried noodles, and unlimited pots of tea, it was indeed a splendid feast to welcome in the year of the Tiger. We have upheld this tradition for about fifteen years and have never been let down by the quality of the food or service.
Looking forward to next time already!
More on Mr Kong's homepage with sample menus to make your mouth water....
We also managed to do some shopping at the See Woo Chinese supermarket right next door for some great, well priced supplies – the garlic is so fresh and superb for home stir fries. Root ginger and galangal, gunpowder tea and pots of thai fish and curry paste as well as soy sauce were also purchased for our store cupboard... and scrutinising the more exotic supplies on offer is always good inspiration.
Dining at Mr Kong’s is a great way to celebrate the Chinese new year if you happen to be in London. It can cheer up the dull days of winter, walking through the bright lights of Leicester Square into Chinatown where the red lanterns strung across the street sway bravely in the wind. There may be a short loiter outside Mr Kong’s if the queues are long but it is well worth it, and the atrium is quite a comfortable wait although looking through the window at other people enjoying delicious meals can be tantalising (in a good way).
Soon you are welcomed warmly and escorted through the busy restaurant to a suitable table. Then you can divest your winter clothes, stow any carrier bags under the table and feast your eyes on an extensive menu. The chef specials are always worth scrutiny, and range from rich hot pots to delicate stir fries. We always choose the iconic starters, steamed scallops in their shells with flash fried minced garlic and delicate glass noodles (below, left), accompanied by a soy sauce with finely sliced chilli and spring onion which is spooned over to taste. It was Mr Kong’s signature dish and is absolutely meltingly gorgeous every time – scallops may have a coral according to the season and dissolve with round almost sweet richness startled by the sharp stab of chilli.For main course, another favourite is the sizzling garlicky king prawns (above, right) – makes a great entrance presented as described, sizzling loudly in a hot cast iron serving dish and the smell is divine. The prawns are perfectly flash cooked along with minced garlic and sweet onions – so simple and delicious (all Mr Kong’s seafood rocks). Other recent choices were duck with asparagus and melon and shitake – exquisite balance of flavours very light for a duck dish – and a richer duck with pineapple and slivers of stem ginger, gently spicy and warming on a cold evening. Pork with garlic sprouts is a robust quite salty dish (think bacon with delicious greens) which our five year old loved. We also ordered the sweet and sour pork, stir fried pork in quite a delicate sauce which was a good complement. With side orders of fluffy rice and fried noodles, and unlimited pots of tea, it was indeed a splendid feast to welcome in the year of the Tiger. We have upheld this tradition for about fifteen years and have never been let down by the quality of the food or service.Looking forward to next time already!
More on Mr Kong's homepage with sample menus to make your mouth water....
We also managed to do some shopping at the See Woo Chinese supermarket right next door for some great, well priced supplies – the garlic is so fresh and superb for home stir fries. Root ginger and galangal, gunpowder tea and pots of thai fish and curry paste as well as soy sauce were also purchased for our store cupboard... and scrutinising the more exotic supplies on offer is always good inspiration.
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